by Hope
A tiny set back that I just realized that I forgot to plan for in my Hardcore Budget : Personal Property Taxes (essentially car ownership tax.) They will be due in June and while I haven’t received the bill yet, but I anticipate it will be somewhere around $300. I didn’t account for them in my budget for these tighter months. So how to deal…
I have decided that since I have brought in several new clients and monies that were not in play when I made the budget that I am going to just use some of that income to pay the bill. That way it will not affect my Consumer Debt Free date or budget.
Problem solved…what a change from when I couldn’t buy toilet paper, eh? We’ve come a long way this year!
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
Yes, you all have come a long way. I can’t wait to read the update where you say you’ve paid your consumer loans off!
Virginia calculates personal property tax based on current assessed value. Its usually around the KBB price of the vehicle or lower. If I remember correctly your current car is older, so $300 may be an over-estimate. But its great that you can overestimate rather than be scraping for cash!
Also, most counties in VA prorate your property tax. So you may be entitled to a refund of property taxes you paid on your van. How long after you renewed registration did you sell it? Definitely something to look into. Since the value was so much higher than your new car it might even pay for this years taxes!
It’s amazing when the little things like that don’t give you sleepless nights anymore, isn’t it? Every sacrifice we go through to be debt-free is SO worth it in the long run!
Awesome progress! Looks like your debt payoff has bought some peace of mind 😉